


Cold Beer and Bourbon

by Sazzy260



Category: JAG, NCIS
Genre: Building Love, Emotionally Open Gibbs, Episode: s08e20 Ice Queen (1), Episode: s08e21 Meltdown (2), First Time, M/M, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-03-29 22:07:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13936398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sazzy260/pseuds/Sazzy260
Summary: Gibbs hated locking innocent people up, so he went to his neighborhood bar after a particularly upsetting case of innocent-lock-up, intent on getting drunk enough to forget the case and the man involved ... Until the innocent man involved was there... his intent changed immediately to making it up to the man by any means...





	1. Chapter 1

Gibbs hated when cases he thought were solid and an easy collar became impossible and hard to solve.  What Gibbs hated more?  Putting innocent people in prison, or… in this case a holding cell for two days.  It’s not that he hadn’t done it before, hell he probably couldn’t even remember the number of times someone who was innocent of a crime sat in a cell because of him.  But this… arrogant, self-righteous, know-it-all JAG lawyer that he could have _easily_ pinned this murder on, and _almost had_ , was absolutely innocent, and he had no choice but to let him leave… Even if he thought the man looked absolutely _hot_ in those metal cuffs; he would definitely do away with the blue scrub-like uniform the man was wearing though, it was _not_ flattering at all – it would likely look much better bunched up in a corner somewhere else while the man himself lay flat out naked on Gibbs’ bed.

 

Gibbs strolled into his favorite bar – only his favorite because it was a stone’s throw away from his house and he could easily leave his car there and walk home _if_ he ever got drunk enough to do so; but, he never really got drunk enough… Maybe tonight would be that night, maybe he would let himself go tonight just long enough to enjoy a decent buzz and try and forget that damned JAG lawyer and those baby blue eyes that rivaled even his own… How the hell was _that_ even possible?!

 

By his third drink in, Gibbs realized that his thoughts weren’t straying farther from the man, but a lot closer and the thoughts inside his head were heating up; he couldn’t quite shake the images, but he figured; _what the hell?  They’re my thoughts and I don’t have to censor them for anybody…_ But, as per his custom, he did have to be vigilant, so he scanned the area surrounding him – the bar was a small place; three booths on one end of the narrow room, and five tables on the other, the bar was dab-smack in the middle and there were two pool tables in the center of it all.  No dance floors, no gaudy music that made someone’s head hurt with each pulsating beat; it was a classic hole-in-the-wall dive that played Rock’n’Roll and just had a come-hither vibe that called to the deepest parts of Gibbs’ soul.

 

Upon inspecting the room, Gibbs saw the normal people that hung out there ‘the regulars’ and then their friends who only came out on occasion, but he knew them too… If not by their name than by their face… There was, however, one face in the crowd that stood out amongst the rest; not an unfamiliar face, just a new face that had never been inside _this_ particular bar.  That face, the one that made his hair at the back of his neck stand up and _other_ parts of his body stand up as well.

 

Gibbs swallowed the last of his drink, ordered another and then got off his barstool as he waded through the minuscule amount of people until he was at the back booth, standing over the heavy oak table and smiling slightly.  The other man lifted his head when the shadow appeared; he didn’t seem drunk but he definitely seemed… Well, Gibbs really couldn’t place that look, it was a mixture of depression, anger and… just _one_ thing that Gibbs couldn’t put into perspective in his own mind “Agent Gibbs… Here to arrest me again?” the man asked, and although Gibbs expected there to be a certain heat behind the question, there was none, just a sadness that made Gibbs’ heart nearly break.

 

Gibbs shook his head “No, Commander… I’m not here to arrest you… Off the clock.” Gibbs said, lifting the corner of his jacket, revealing the lack of service weapon and badge that seemed always permanently attached to his waist – he did have a gun at his ankle, because what federal agent wouldn’t carry a gun around with them?  The times they lived in, you never knew when you’d need it.  “Mind if I join you?” Gibbs asked, noticing the lawyer had a nearly full pitcher of beer sitting on the table still.

 

The commander shook his head and waved his hand aimlessly in the direction of the other side of the booth “Not at all… If we’re going to be drinking buddies for the night though, you may as well call me Harm.” Harm said, smiling a little as he poured more beer into his half-full glass.

 

Gibbs realized that Harm’s smile didn’t nearly reach those beautiful blue eyes of his, he sat and settled his glass in front of his chest, holding onto it tightly so he wouldn’t be tempted to reach out and wipe the lines of frustration, stress, and worry away from that handsome face “Alright… then you can call me Jethro…” Gibbs said quietly, biting his bottom lip slowly; he suddenly felt a wave of nervousness surge through him as those blue eyes locked onto his own.

 

Harm nodded as he stared at Gibbs for a long time, both men silent as they sipped their beverages – neither man breaking eye contact, hell if you looked at them from the outside of their booth, you’d probably think they were statues, aside from the arm that moved to hydrate themselves, nothing else in their body even so much as twitched.  That was, until Harm opened his mouth and started laughing, almost hysterically. Gibbs was curious, but he waited for the younger man until the laughs started dying and the sobs started up; Gibbs was quick to move from his side of the booth to the other, he didn’t think, he just reacted as he wrapped his arms around the Commander’s upper body, gently rocking and whispering soothing words into his ear.

 

When Harm finally relaxed, the tears were dried and fresh booze was poured, both men let out heavy breaths and leaned back against the same booth, staring at the other side and not daring to look at each other.  Harm whirled his index finger around the rim of his mug, “She claims to love me… Yet, when I’m locked up for two days… on a crime, she knows I didn’t commit… She doesn’t even have the decency to check on me… See how I’m doing… see if I need anything… Doesn’t even know if I’m going to prison for the rest of my life or… offer me any type of help…” Harm rambled on aimlessly for what seemed like hours, and Gibbs just listened to every word, as if it were the oxygen he needed to keep on living “…that’s why I don’t fall for women… they say one thing and then they… well hell, they do the exact opposite… They’re hard to read, hard to understand… Harder to talk to… Men?  Men, on the other hand, we’re simple… We know what we want, we know how to get it… It’s just a matter of saying the right things… and when two men say things to each other… It’s usually the right thing… They understand; they are easier to read in a sense… It’s just… easier.” Harm huffed out, at last, his eyes closed and head tilted back as he spoke.

 

Gibbs was curious about the younger man’s quiet tirade – clearly, he’d been hurt in the past by women, how many he didn’t know, but that wasn’t what mattered to him – it was the second part of the conversation that had Gibbs’ full attention.  Harm’s head snapped up a few seconds later and he looked over at Gibbs, blinking slowly “I… I said all of that out loud… didn’t I?” Harm asked quietly, his voice reflecting the fear and uncertainty that – If it were any other person in the world – would likely be warranted, but this was Gibbs, and Gibbs was now completely sure he had at least a chance to see what the Commander looked like underneath his jeans and black cable-knit sweater.

 

Gibbs nodded slowly; thanking every deity he could that he was on the outside of the booth, this way Harm couldn’t bolt if he felt the urge “You did say it out loud… I know what you mean though… Been married f-… three times and… Men are easier… In every way possible…” Gibbs said as he looked deeply into those eyes of Harm’s, watching as they went from a baby blue to an almost ocean blue in mere seconds.

 

Harm nodded, licked his lips and swallowed some of his beer “This beer tastes like aged dirt…” Harm whispered as he pushed the glass away from himself – it had gone warm during his one-sided conversation and was no longer a pleasant taste to his tongue.

 

Gibbs chuckled as he leaned over, gently grasping Harm’s wrist “I know a better place that has cold beers and endless bottles of bourbon if you so desire?” Gibbs asked, his voice laced with an undercurrent of lust.

 

Harm’s eyes traveled up from his wrist to the arm connected until he was staring into nearly black eyes – only a trace amount of blue left behind in the wake of their lust – “I do desire… Cold beer and bourbon sounds really good.” Harm said as he slid closer to Gibbs’ body, not quite pushing the older man out of the booth, but damn near close enough.

 

Gibbs nodded as he slid out of the booth, relinquishing his hold on Harm’s wrist “I’ll drive us… It’s only around the block.” Gibbs said as he led Harm out of the bar, his fingers just _barely_ touching the younger man’s back – he wanted to touch, but, in a place as public as this, he wouldn’t risk it… Not until they were in the darkness and it could look more innocent than sensual.

 

Gibbs’ internal wish to touch Harm more intimately came true about a few seconds later when the cold air whipped around them and Harm stumbled slightly, clearly he’d had a little too much warm beer and it was affecting him.  Gibbs wrapped his arm around Harm’s waist and held him close “My car’s only over there, think you can make it?” Gibbs asked, pointing in the direction of his truck, Harm nodded and semi-led the way, but Gibbs was doing more legwork than Harm was at the moment.

 

* * *

 

 

When the two men finally got to Gibbs’ house, Gibbs deposited Harm on the sofa “How do you like your coffee?  It seems that something warm would be more appropriate.” Gibbs asked – Harm had sobered up a bit on the ride home but the air outside had more of an effect on both men, a bone-deep chill settling in.

 

Harm blinked lazily in Gibbs’ direction as if he’d just asked the hardest question in the world “Uh… black… no sugar or anything…” Harm finally answered, blinking a little more aggressively to erase the swimming images from his mind.

 

Gibbs nodded approvingly as he moved to the coffee pot and started it to brew “Good choice… Why taint something good?” Gibbs questioned rhetorically as he pulled two mugs out of the cabinet – they were both USMC mugs, and he hoped that the Navy JAG Poster-Boy didn’t mind drinking from a rival branch; but, if the man wasn’t concerned about crying on Gibbs’ shoulder, he probably didn’t care what type of mug he drank out of, considering Gibbs was a full-blooded, never-gonna-give-it-up, Marine and would be until the day he died.

 

Gibbs brought the two mugs into the living room and set one in Harm’s waiting hands, and kept the other “Hope you don’t mind…” Gibbs said vaguely, waving his hand at the USMC logo on the mug, then took a long gulp of his own coffee, relishing the bitter hot liquid that ran down his throat.

 

Harm glanced at the mug then shook his head “I don’t have a problem with Marines… just one Marine.” Harm said cryptically, then drank his own coffee, he had to hold back the grimace – a bit too strong for his taste, but it was warm, it was coffee and it would help sober him up just that much more.

 

Gibbs wanted to ask, he knew he should but… watching Harm’s Adam's apple bob up and down as he drank the coffee had him tongue-tied and unable to form much coherent thought past ‘ _What would that mouth feel like wrapped around my cock_ ’… Gibbs shook himself from those thoughts, he needed to focus, couldn’t get wrapped up in his ‘little heads’ games right now.  Gibbs opened his mouth, but before he could get words out, Harm was talking again “She’s supposed to be my best friend… and I mean, yeah… I love her, but not in the way she wants me too… I wish I could but it’s… It’s just not in _my_ deck of cards, never will be… Never has been… Why join the navy?  Had too… Legacy and dreams led me this direction and I wasn’t going to stop myself from living up to what pretty much made me who I am today…” Harm seemed to like to ramble when he was drunk, Gibbs thought as he watched those puffy pink lips move seamlessly from one topic of discussion to the next; Gibbs couldn’t really keep up and, ironically, for all of his silence, he didn’t seem to mind his ears being filled with nonsensical conversation.

 

When Harm stopped talking, Gibbs blinked a few times and looked at him; the worry, fear, and stress were still so obvious on the younger man’s face.  In a moment of… impulse? Insanity? He didn’t know which, Gibbs just, leaned forward and pressed his lips to Harm’s, kissing the younger man with everything he could.  Harm was stunned at first, but after a few seconds, he began kissing back – Both men still had a firm grasp on their coffee mugs, not letting them tip or spill as they made out like to ravenous teenagers on their first date.

 

When Gibbs’ lungs began begging for oxygen, he slowly pulled away but kept his lips close to Harm’s; both men were panting hard, a small amount of sweat had broken out on their foreheads.  Harm licked his lips slowly, the tip of his tongue just barely tapping the crease of Gibbs’ own lips “Wanna… move this… somewhere else?” Harm asked quietly, still trying to get control of his own breathing.

 

Gibbs nodded slowly, and without looking, took Harm’s coffee mug and set them both down on the table “Upstairs… bedroom?” he asked, even as he and Harm both stood up, their bodies still only inches apart, and their mouths only separated by a single breath.  Harm nodded as he started backing up, Gibbs followed him move for move, not wanting to stray too far from the younger man’s body.

 

By the time they got upstairs and into the master bedroom, Harm was missing his sweater, one shoe, and his jeans were barely hugging his hips; Gibbs, however, was missing his shirt, undershirt and both of his shoes “We’re an odd pair…” Gibbs said, chuckling slightly as he ran his fingers over the firm muscles of Harm’s stomach, watching the muscles ripple with anticipation, even through the thin cotton undershirt.

 

Harm nodded as he leaned into Gibbs, kissing him deeply and passionately; his own fingers doing some exploration, running over Gibbs’ well-defined stomach, trimmed hips and muscular arms “It… happens sometimes.” Harm said after he pulled away from Gibbs’ lips, only to move to the older man’s jawline, leaving small bites and kisses all the way down to Gibbs’ collarbone.

 

Gibbs shuddered slightly as he grasped the hem of Harm’s undershirt, yanked it up and over the younger man’s head and dropped it on the floor “Gotta even it up a little…” Gibbs commented as he attacked Harm’s loosely hanging jeans, letting them and the younger man’s boxers hit the floor in one fluid motion.

 

Harm smirked as he kicked off his remaining shoe and shucked his jeans and boxers off his ankles as well, kicking them backward and out of the way.  Harm then reached to Gibbs’ slacks, popped the button and pulled the zipper down – he let gravity take over, watching as the black pants hit the floor with a bit of a clang; weight from Gibbs’ keys and wallet.  Harm’s eyes traveled the length of the older man’s body from shoulder to ankles and licked his lips “Very hot.” Harm mumbled as he leaned forward, sucking on the protruding bone of Gibbs’ collarbone, leaving the smallest mark possible.

 

Gibbs drew in a sharp breath and let his head fall back as Harm left a trail of searing heat behind while going further down Gibbs’ body.  Gibbs wanted to look, but he knew if he did, that would probably end their fun because he _wouldn’t_ be able to hold back if he saw… “Oh god!” Gibbs groaned as a tight heat wrapped around the head of his cock, enveloping him and his senses immediately.  Gibbs set his hand on Harm’s head, carding his fingers through the younger man’s soft black hair “Damn… damn Harm that’s good…” Gibbs moaned as he bucked his hips forward into that heat, although it was a subconscious movement.

 

Harm smiled, chuckling deeply in his throat as he swallowed around Gibbs’ cock, taking in his entire length; the coarse pubic hairs surrounding Gibbs’ cock tickled Harm’s nose, but the choked cry that came from above him only spurred him on to draw back to the tip and deep throat the older man’s cock again.  Gibbs growled slightly as he gripped the back of Harm’s head and pulled his head back, he looked down and groaned at the sight of lust-filled blue eyes staring up at him, cock still in Harm’s mouth “Gotta stop.  Now.  Or fun will definitely be over.” Gibbs ground out through clenched teeth.

 

Harm nodded as he slowly released Gibbs’ cock, licking the head with gentle sweeps before standing up and smiling.  Gibbs returned the smile, but it turned into an evil little smirk as he started towards Harm.  Harm yelped slightly when his knees encountered the edge of the bed and he fell backward, but it quickly turned into a moan as Gibbs climbed on top of his body and laid their rigid cocks side-by-side and ground down with just the _right_ amount of pressure “Fuck…” Harm breathed out as he arched into Gibbs’ body, replicating the motion and moaning again.

 

Gibbs bit his bottom lip to keep from moaning as he reached over to the nightstand, withdrawing a condom and lubricant from the top drawer “You _have_ done this before, right?” Gibbs asked as he pushed up to his knees and reached his hand down to stroke Harm’s cock slowly.

 

Harm nodded and squirmed slightly on the mattress “Mhm… I am a sailor after all.” Harm said, then gasped as Gibbs dipped a cold lubed finger into Harm’s opening, causing Harm to also arch off the bed and close his eyes tightly; it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as he expected, it had been a while since he last bottomed, but the pleasure definitely overrode the pain almost immediately.

 

Gibbs watched in fascination as Harm’s body squirmed and writhed against the mattress as Gibbs stretched him out – He was already up to three fingers and almost too eager to withdraw and just slam right into that delectably tight heat that was sucking his fingers in deeply.  Gibbs grabbed the condom wrapper and ripped the top part off with his teeth, then slowly moved the condom down over his engorged, and very purple cock – he knew this orgasm would be huge, he just _hoped_ he could hold out long enough to get a good rhythm going before he embarrassed himself altogether.

 

Harm whimpered pitifully when Gibbs pulled his fingers out “W…” he tried speaking but before he could, there was a new sensation blossoming in his entire body as Gibbs thrust into his body, balls slapping against his ass as the older man buried himself to the hilt “FUCK!” Harm screamed instead, arching off the mattress and digging his nails into Gibbs’ biceps deeply.

 

Gibbs paused, looking down into Harm’s face “You okay?” Gibbs asked tenderly as he brought his hand up, and _finally_ , after having to want to do it all night – he gently stroked the lines marring that handsome face below him, tracing them almost reverently.  He wouldn’t admit it, at least not right now, but he could see something in Harm that he hadn’t seen in another partner, male or female, in a long time – he could see a bond building between them, and he was afraid, afraid to admit it, afraid to find out more, but… he couldn’t dwell on it, not right now, he’d have time for it later.

 

Harm nodded after taking several deep breaths “Mhm… Just unexpected… You’re free to move now.” Harm said as he lifted his legs up to wrap them high around Gibbs’ back, scooted down just enough to give the older man the perfect angle, he also wrapped his arms around Gibbs’ neck, bringing his head down so that they could trade kisses and pants of breath.

 

Now that Gibbs was inside of that incredibly tight heat, it almost seemed like a sin to pull out, but he did, and then he slid back in with a slow and tender push; he wanted to take his time now, build up to that all-encompassing orgasm that he knew was lingering just on the edge.  Harm moaned with each thrust, his head thrown back and his fingers alternately gripping and massaging into Gibbs’ neck.  The earlier rambling had ceased to exist, and in its place was just moans, cries of pleasure and the occasional shout as Gibbs nailed his prostate more times than he didn’t.

 

Their bodies moved together like the perfect symphony, and Gibbs watched intently as Harm arched into each thrust as if his life depended on it, but… Gibbs wanted to see what the younger man had in him, wanted to see what he could do.  So, like before with their first kiss, he grabbed Harm by the hips and flipped their bodies over so that Harm was on top of him now.  Harm was only startled by the sudden movement for a brief second, but he saw the glint in Gibbs’ eyes and _knew_ he was being challenged, so bracing his forearms on the mattress near Gibbs’ head, he lifted his hips up and slammed back down with a force that shook both men to their very cores “Yeah… That’s it… Fuck!” Gibbs mumbled as he kept a firm hold on Harm’s hips, watching as his cock disappeared into that tight heat several times over.

 

Harm sat up straight and placed his hands on Gibbs’ chest, tweaking the older man’s nipples while simultaneously bouncing himself as fast as his hips would allow for.  Gibbs reached down and wrapped Harm’s cock in a tight hold, his main goal to get Harm off before Gibbs himself exploded.  Harm cried out at the double assault on his body, his back arching inward and his head falling back as he panted and rotated his hips in circles “Oh god!  I’m… I’m… gonna…” before he could even finish the sentence his cum was shooting out, white-hot and sticky, all over Gibbs’ stomach, chest and over his fingers.

 

Gibbs groaned as he thrust his hips upwards a final time, back bowed just as Harm’s was as he emptied himself into the tip of the condom; fleeting thoughts passed his mind as to how it would feel to fill Harm with his cum and not a latex substitute.  Harm shuddered violently in the aftermath, his body finally relaxed enough that he was able to collapse onto Gibbs’ chest, holding onto the other man because if he didn’t, he wasn’t entirely sure if he’d float away or not.

 

Gibbs also felt the need to hold on – wrapping his arms around Harm’s back and rubbing softly to chase away the last of the aftershocks from the orgasm.  Both men were breathless, sweaty and exhausted from their exertions, but neither were ready to move.  “That was… wow.” Harm said quietly, the fingertip of his index drawing random patterns on Gibbs’ shoulder.

 

Gibbs nodded slowly “Yeah it was.” He agreed as he carefully pulled out of Harm’s body, wrapping his fingers around the base of his cock to keep the condom from falling off.  Harm rolled off of Gibbs’ chest and to the top of the bed, watching as the older man disappeared into the bathroom.

 

Gibbs came back a few seconds later, condom disposed of, stomach and chest cleaned and a warm washcloth in his hand.  Gibbs gently cleaned Harm’s body, front and back, then tossed the washcloth into the hamper and climbed into bed beside Harm “You gonna stay the night?” Gibbs asked, even as he spooned up behind Harm and wrapped the younger man back up in his arms.

 

Harm nodded and molded his body to the curve of Gibbs’ body “Mhm.  Too tired to get up and walk back to the bar… Sleep, have breakfast maybe, and then we’ll see…” Harm said as he closed his eyes and let the older man’s even breaths and encompassing warmth soothe him to sleep slowly.

 

Gibbs smiled as he pressed a tender kiss to the back of Harm’s head; he liked that idea a lot, would even go so far as to say he wouldn’t mind exploring even more of the younger man, but… He was exhausted and he had tomorrow to try and _figure out_ how he was going to get the words out of his mouth – Knowing that talking wasn’t his strong suit, it would probably be like pulling teeth, but he was determined to get it done, and hope he didn’t scare the younger man away in the process.


	2. Egg White What?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I couldn't help myself; I know I said in the previous chapter that I likely wouldn't revisit this one - at least not so soon anyway - but I found myself writing this instead of what I was supposed to be writing, and turned out this little love nugget.
> 
> Keep in mind that Gibbs is not a robot, I hate BPD for trying to make him one in NCIS -- So, on that note, here is an emotionally open Gibbs, who actually talks when he wants to and can say more than a few words and doesn't just grunt his agreement or disagreement... Because who /actually/ does that?!
> 
> Oh, and sex... hot, unadulterated, sex between Harm & Gibbs, because why not? :) Enjoy and pray that there is more to come, even though my brain is already like, ten steps ahead and thinking of the next chapter...

Gibbs groaned as he felt warm sunshine cast across his face, twisting his body in only a way that a contortionist would know how to get out of and reveling in each of the bones that cracked and popped under his command.  Blinking his eyes open slowly, he looked over at the clock and smiled faintly, it was a little after eight in the morning – it had been a _long_ time since he’d slept in that late, suddenly the reason why came back to him and he quickly turned his head over to the other side of the bed, frowning when he saw the other side neatly made; or at least it would have been, had Gibbs not pulled the tight, military-precision corner away from the edge when he’d started waking up.

 

Reaching over, he noticed that it was definitely cold.  Harm had been gone for a while at least, sighing quietly, Gibbs tossed the sheet off his waist and sat up slowly, letting the residual night air sink into his body and wake him up just that little bit more.  That’s when his other senses started awakening, the smell of coffee and… something else he couldn’t quite recognize filtering in the air.  Another smile graced Gibbs’ features as he got off the bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants, and quietly made his way down the stairs until he was standing in the kitchen.  Harm was standing over the stove, a cup of coffee in one hand and spatula in the other – he was wearing his boxers and an apron and Gibbs thought that _that_ was probably the hottest image he’d ever seen in his kitchen in a _very_ long time.

 

Gibbs made his way to the coffee pot, poured himself one and took a sip, nodding approvingly “Good cup of coffee.” Gibbs said as he set the mug down and went over to Harm, wrapping his arms around the younger man’s waist and laying his head on Harm’s shoulder, since he couldn’t exactly hook his chin over the taller man’s shoulder, seeing as he was four inches taller “What are you making?” Gibbs asked after a few seconds, the scents before him taking his curiosity by storm as he looked around Harm’s shoulder to watch the taller man cook.

 

Harm looked over his shoulder and smirked slightly “Egg white omelet with spinach, tomato, and some other vegetables… And… bacon.” Harm stated, although his smirk never left – he had taken inventory of Gibbs’ freezer and fridge before cooking, noticing that the older man was _definitely_ a meat and potato type, so him being practically a vegan would more than likely throw Gibbs through a huge loop.

 

Gibbs blinked slowly as he let the words register in his brain, not once but more like fifty times before he could even think of an intelligent response “Egg white what?  Where the hell did you even get any of this stuff?” Gibbs asked, pulling a face as he pulled away from Harm and went to the refrigerator, pulling open both the freezer and fridge door to check and make sure that what had been in there last night, was still in there.  Satisfied that it was indeed the way he left it, except for the addition of pulp-free orange juice, he closed the doors and looked at Harm again, waiting for an answer.

 

Harm shrugged as he slid one omelet off the skillet and began the process of making another one “I went to the grocery store… It’s only a few blocks away, walked there, walked back… I noticed you didn’t really have anything that appealed to my more… sensitive stomach… and I had to get something, because… after all, there was a promise of breakfast in the morning.” Harm said as he slid the scrambled up eggs into the skillet and watched as they began bubbling “Besides, I did try waking you up, but you were pretty out of it so I let you sleep… Figured you’d needed it if even your internal military clock couldn’t wake you.” Harm finished his explanation and lifted a corner of the eggs, then quickly flipped them over when he was satisfied.

 

Gibbs nodded after a few seconds of contemplating _that_ fact “Haven’t slept in like that in a long time.  Thankfully it’s the weekend and I don’t have to worry about waking up to go to work… Unless I get called that is.” Gibbs said, then quickly reached up, knocking on the oak cabinet to ward off the evilness that NCIS Dispatch was – He may not be superstitious but anytime anyone ever said anything like that, they always… _always_ got called in, no matter what.

 

Harm chuckled as he leaned over the few inches between them and kissed Gibbs softly on the lips “I think that your weekend will be fine… I have pretty good luck.” Harm whispered against Gibbs’ lips, the warmth of their breath mixing and mingling together as their blue eyes locked onto one another.

 

Gibbs snorted softly “You’re burning my omelet… Although I am skeptical about eating it, so maybe burnt is good.” Gibbs said, raising his eyebrow slightly as he moved away from Harm and began pulling plates and silverware out from their places in the drawers and cabinets.

 

Harm returned to the skillet, sliding off the _slightly_ burnt omelet next to the other “I’ll take the burnt one, doesn’t bother me… I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, however… They are one of my specialties.” Harm said as he transferred the omelet’s to the plates that Gibbs held out, then put a few slices of bacon onto the plates as well “Do you just want coffee, or would you like some orange juice as well?” Harm asked as he grabbed his cup and took a sip before opening the fridge and pulling the box of OJ out.

 

Gibbs shrugged slightly as he returned to his coffee cup “Orange juice is fine.  Here, hand me your mug.” Gibbs requested, holding his arm back without turning away from the coffee pot – he refilled both mugs and then turned and joined Harm at the kitchen table where two glasses of orange juice, the omelets and Harm waited “I uh… Appreciate the meal… Although, if I don’t like it… Don’t take offense…” Gibbs stated, nervousness randomly surging through his body as he wrapped his fingers gently around Harm’s wrist.

 

Harm shrugged as he turned his hand over and interlocked his fingers with Gibbs’, smiling a little mischievously “I didn’t like you at first… Until I got a sense of who you really were…Once I got a taste of you, I’m definitely not complaining.” Harm said, the implied innuendo didn’t go unnoticed, but Gibbs decided to ignore it in favor of holding onto Harm’s hand with one of his own while using his other free hand to start eating the omelet.

 

To Gibbs’ utter dismay and absolute surprise, the omelet _really_ was not that bad at all, even went as far as saying so to the younger man.  Harm nodded and blushed slightly under the compliment, keeping his head down as he slowly at his breakfast.  The two men were silent as they ate, their fingers still loosely entwined… The silence was rather unnerving for Gibbs, which was strange because he _preferred_ silence, but somehow it just wasn’t right, not with a man like Harm sitting next to him, their hands linked together as such, it just didn’t sit well “Is something wrong?” he finally asked, setting his fork down on his empty plate – which was a shock, he hardly ever cleared his plate unless he was at the Diner or eating one of his steaks.

 

Harm shook his head slowly as he looked up at Gibbs “No… The breakfast portion of our promise last night is over… Now we’re at the ‘we’ll see’ part and…” Harm sighed and finally relinquished his hold on Gibbs’ hand, finishing off the remainder of his orange juice and forcing himself to not make eye contact with the older man, instead focusing on the small sprig of spinach left behind on his plate.

 

Gibbs sighed “And what?  Don’t close me out now…” Gibbs said quietly, not for the first time this morning to be shocked at what he was saying or doing – this was really starting to get overwhelming, inviting someone to be open with him?  Being open himself, although, not completely open – not yet, though he knew there would likely be a time that came that he would open every can of worms and every sealed wound he had on his body and in his heart to the younger man.

 

Harm took in a deep breath and finally lifted his head, looking directly into the sparkling blue eyes just across from him “I’m not very good at the ‘after’ of… what happened last night… I’m good for… maybe a few hours of conversation… Then it’s ‘I’ll see you later, call me…’ and never call, or get called…” Harm rambled nervously, his hands slowly turning the glass his OJ was in, albeit it seemed like a subconscious movement and god if Gibbs didn’t find even _that_ endearing.

 

Gibbs frowned slightly as he stood up, holding his hand outward for Harm, nodding his head in the direction of the couch when Harm looked up at him in confusion.  Once the two men were settled on the couch, Gibbs turned to face Harm and set his hand on the younger man’s cheek, lightly rubbing his thumb over the stubble “I’m not good at the after’s either… I know what you mean, believe me… Like I said last night, I been married three times… Things didn’t work out, I was a bastard, the women I married… Well, let’s just say they weren’t exactly cut out for the marriage thing either, at least not with me…” Gibbs said, breathing deeply as he looked at Harm “What I do know is, is that I have never felt more connected to someone… than I do to you right now… It’s not just about the sex, and believe me – the sex was _definitely_ amazing, but… There’s more… The fire you have in your soul, the passion that you do your job with… I… That just makes you all the more irresistible, and…” Gibbs sighed as his tongue tied into knots – being emotionally vulnerable was really starting to bite him in the ass right now and he just _hoped_ he could do something to get the words out right.

 

Harm chuckled softly as he reached up and cupped Gibbs’ cheek, mirroring the older man’s action “And you want to see where this leads?  Want to know what’s in store for us, the longer we stay in contact?  Keep hanging out… like this?” Harm questioned, his blue eyes sparkling with the acknowledgment that he knew how Gibbs felt, “But… at the same time, I can see it in your eyes… You’re worried about things.  How are we ever going to work?  What about _your_ career?  What about _my_ career?  If either of our bosses or co-workers ever found out, you’d be screwed and I’d go to Leavenworth with a dishonorable discharge…” Harm said quietly, stilling his thumb on a small scar just underneath Gibbs’ right eye.

 

Gibbs nodded slowly and set his other free hand on Harm’s knee, for some reason unfathomable to him needing more contact with the younger man, and it helped that his knee was bare since he was in boxers, which made Gibbs’ head snap up “If you went to the store earlier, how come you’re in your boxers again?” Gibbs asked, he knew he was changing the subject, hell a deaf person three thousand miles away could hear _that_ but… it seemed like a safe thing to talk about while he gathered the rest of his thoughts and ordered the words that he wanted to say to come out the way he wanted to say them.

 

Harm laughed as he laid his head on the back of the couch, pinning Gibbs’ hand to his rough cheek “I like being comfortable when I don’t have to wear the uniform.  Next to being completely nude, boxers seemed the next best thing… Besides, this isn’t my house, I didn’t want to do anything that would want to make you kick me out… Like waking up to see me standing naked in your kitchen.” Harm said innocently, batting his eyelashes in a way that was _anything_ but innocent and definitely rivaled his statement.

 

Gibbs chuckled as he laid his head close to Harm’s, their foreheads lightly pressed together, lips only millimeters apart “I wouldn’t have minded waking up to that… I actually might have preferred it…” Gibbs whispered huskily, reaching his hand around Harm’s neck to release the drawstring of the apron and letting it fall and pool in Harm’s lap.

 

Harm swallowed and closed his eyes, but only briefly, when he reopened them they were darker than before and that made Gibbs swallow nervously “I’ll know for next time then.   I’ll forego the boxers and just wear this…” Harm said as he lifted the apron from his lap, tossing it over his shoulder – it landed on the arm of the couch but neither man really cared, they only had eyes for each other at this moment.

 

Gibbs nodded as he slowly moved forward, pressing his hand against Harm’s chest until the younger man was lying flat on his back on the couch and Gibbs was hovering over him.  Their lips met somewhere in the middle and the kisses that they shared were soft, sweet, and oh-so-slow that it made every hair on Gibbs’ body stand on end and every nerve in his body start igniting.   Harm gasped and maybe even whimpered slightly as he wrapped one leg around Gibbs’ thighs, and both of his arms wound their way around Gibbs’ neck as the kiss deepened, tongues sliding out to caress, teeth nipping gently at bottom lips.

 

Gibbs braced one hand on the arm of the couch and the other beside Harm’s head as he trailed slow kisses down Harm’s jawline and neck, over to his ear “I have… never… wanted… someone nearly as… badly… as I want you… right now…” Gibbs panted, his voice rough and lust-filled as he ground his hips down into the hard erection he could feel pressing into the crease of his hip.

 

Harm gasped even louder, his body arching off the couch and his blunt fingernails scraping across Gibbs’ bareback in the most tantalizing way that had Gibbs’ cock getting even harder if it were at all possible.  “You can have me… all of me… Don’t care about anything else…” Harm said, his voice breathless and a little needy as he rocked his hips slowly, pressing two very hard erections together again; which caused both men to moan loudly.

 

Gibbs paused, pulled his head back and looked down at Harm, his expression serious – despite the hardness of his cock, pressing into the hardness of Harm’s cock – “We… We should… _really_ talk about this…” Gibbs said, hating himself for every second of every word that he spoke because, since when did a guy who wanted what he wanted right underneath him, ever become logical and use the head on his shoulders instead of the one confined in his too-loose sweatpants?

 

Harm huffed out a breath, whether it was in frustration or acknowledgment, Gibbs really couldn’t tell but Harm nodded his head and relaxed his body on the couch, but neither man actually made a move to get up, they just got comfortable, Gibbs with his back against the couch now and Harm with his back against the air as they laid side-by-side on the too small of a couch for either of their frames, but neither seemed to care as they held onto one another.  “You’re right… we should… I just… the heat of the moment… it… yeah… Okay, talk… talk we can do.” Harm said, laughing nervously as he closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths to calm himself down.

 

Gibbs also took a few minutes to do some deep breathing and nerve-calming and then opened his eyes once more “I’m not in the military anymore… I’m not bound by ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’; and I mean, sure… Law enforcement has its ups and downs about this sort of thing but… I don’t care what people think, whether they know or not… I understand that discretion is necessary for your sake and I would _never_ intentionally do anything that could put you in danger… I wouldn’t want you going to Leavenworth over sex…” Gibbs stated, blinking his eyes slowly; he wouldn’t admit it, not even to the man in front of him that tears had started welling up, not even if Harm saw them.

 

Harm smiled sadly as he reached his hand up, setting it on Gibbs’ cheek “This isn’t just sex though, is it?” Harm asked and Gibbs shook his head slowly “Then if worse comes to worse and I get caught being with a man that gets me, that understands me and actually likes me for _me_ … Then going to Leavenworth, getting a dishonorable discharge… It would be worth the risk… Not saying we should go out and start screaming that we…” Harm stopped and inhaled deeply “What, exactly, would we become?  If… you know, we went that way…” Harm asked curiously.

 

Gibbs laughed as he laid his forehead against Harm’s forehead “Lovers?  Partners?  Boyfriends would fit but… I’m too old and you’re not quite young either… A Couple certainly has its appeal.” Gibbs suggested, kissing Harm on the tip of his nose lightly and smiling.

 

Harm nodded and, despite the height difference, wedged his head underneath Gibbs’ chin and curled up around the older man’s body “A couple then.  We can’t go around screaming from the tops of our lungs that we’re a couple, because not only would people look at us like we’re strange but I have a distinct feeling that you’re not exactly known for being someone who wants people knowing their personal business.  Which, by the way, completely suits me and in the end, it’s probably better that way… Discretion isn’t exactly something I’d look forward too, simply because we could never be seen out in public as anything more than two guys just hanging out.  No romantic dinners, no holding hands, no necking like first-time teenagers on a park bench… But, all of that is cool with me… I’ve never actually done any of those things with any of the people I’ve ever been with…” Harm said, then lifted his head up and looked at Gibbs with a raised eyebrow “I talk a lot, I say things that make sense in my own head but sometimes don’t translate well once they’re out… I can be a bit pushy, I am _definitely_ a bit egotistical and I have a love for flying that stemmed from being born into a Flying family… Grandfather, father… I work long hours and don’t always have time for the people that I love, but when I do love I love deeply and with my entire heart and I don’t want anything out of life other than someone to do the same… I don’t need a fancy car, even though I have one, I don’t need a big house or anything that most women want out of life… The whole, white picket fence, two point five kids and a dog thing is not me… Although maybe a dog, a dog would be cool…” Harm knew he was rambling but Gibbs hadn’t stopped him, well… not until Gibbs pressed his lips to Harm’s lips and stopped verbal diarrhea from spilling all over the two of them.

 

Gibbs sighed as he pulled his lips away from Harm’s and smiled softly “Everything you have said about yourself… It goes both ways.  But, I have to warn you… I’m a bastard, I can be cold and distant for no other reason than because I just can – when I do that, I expect you to be pushy, to push me, to push my boundaries and push me past my bastardism because if you don’t, we’ll end up hating each other… and I _really, really_ do not want to hate you Harm.  When I love, I love with everything I’ve got… I’m the marrying type if you haven’t already heard… I want a long-lasting, forever, sealed with a kiss, type of relationship and if that’s not what you want then, well, to put the Second B in my name to rights, the door is only a few feet away… but I can see it, deep in those beautiful blue eyes, you’re tired of the one-night stands and the cold and lonely bed, the waking up alone and going to sleep the same way…” Gibbs said quietly “I work long hours and my job is so demanding that I never know when I’ll be coming home.  I’ll miss birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, I’ll forget them too unless I have them written down… I might not be able to call but I’ll damn sure try with everything I have in me to either call or make it up to you when I can…” Gibbs huffed out an exhausted breath and laid his forehead on Harm’s shoulder “I’m not always emotionally available, and that’s another thing you’ll have to be pushy with because… when I shut down, I shut down hard and quick and I don’t ever, _ever_ want you to give up on me…” Gibbs whispered, finally able to pull his head away from Harm so that their eyes connected once again.

 

Harm reached up slowly and cupped Gibbs’ cheek, bringing their faces closer and kissing his partner softly “I won’t give up if you won’t give up… I know that we still have a lot to learn about each other, and probably more conversations… A couple of fights along the way but, in the end, they will all be worth it… because I’ll have you, and you’ll have me… I just have one rule when it comes to relationships…” Harm said quietly, Gibbs raised his eyebrow and nodded for Harm to continue “Never go to bed angry with each other.  Either talk it out or separate from the situation, but never go to bed mad at me, or me mad at you… You can be mad about anything else when we get into bed, as long as you’re not mad at me.” Harm whispered and laid his head down on his bent arm, smiling slightly.

 

Gibbs laughed as he laid his head close to Harm’s “If only I had that rule with the ex-wives… but, then again… Maybe not, because… then I wouldn’t be here, with you… With someone, I can see a whole future with if you’re okay with a lifetime of being with a cold-hearted bastard?” Gibbs inquired, eyebrow raised slightly.

 

Harm smiled and kissed Gibbs softly on the lips “I definitely don’t mind spending a lifetime with you, but your heart is not cold…” Harm said, setting his hand over Gibbs’ heart “Bastard?  Maybe, but so far, I haven’t really seen the bastard side of you except at NCIS… If that’s where you keep the bastard part of you, then I have absolutely no problems with being in your life.” Harm said and inhaled slowly “Now, are we done with being so serious?  I’ve never been this serious except outside of a courtroom and it’s really kind of exhausting.” Harm asked, his eyes alight with amusement as he looked up at Gibbs through his thick black lashes.

 

Gibbs nodded and breathed out a sigh of relief “God yes… I absolutely agree.  How about we go back upstairs and do something about that exhaustion, hm?” Gibbs suggested, even though his words and his seductive tone contradicted one another.

 

Harm nodded his agreement and with a gracefulness, rolled off the couch and, leaving Gibbs behind to play catch-up, made a hasty retreat up the stairs, laughing the entire way.  Gibbs laughed as he got up and followed Harm’s trail up the stairs and into the master bedroom, stuttering to a stop when he saw Harm bent over at the waist, boxers down around his ankles now.  He quickly moved up behind Harm, setting his hands on the younger man’s hips and bucking his now painfully hard erection against Harm’s ass.  Harm gasped and grabbed onto the edge of the bed, his head hanging forward “Fewer clothes… better for us…” Harm managed to get out between pants of breath as he reached over to the nightstand, grabbing the bottle of lube that they had left out the night before and handing it back to Gibbs.

 

Gibbs pushed his sweatpants down and kicked them back towards the wall.  Gibbs drizzled the lube into the crack of Harm’s ass, watching as the clear liquid slid down and dripped onto the hardwood floors, then moved his fingers forward, slowly massaging the lubricant against Harm’s puckered hole, watching as the muscles twitched and flexed with each passing movement.  Inching his fingers in slowly, Gibbs moaned at the tight heat that enveloped him, watching as his fingers disappeared to the knuckle, then slowly dragging them back out, crooking his fingers just slightly at the _right_ time to brush past Harm’s prostate.

 

Harm’s breath hitched and he let out a small whimpered moan each time Gibbs just barely touched his prostate, his fingers wrapping painfully tight around the bedspread and his hips bucking backward and forwards, practically fucking himself on Gibbs’ fingers “God… fuck… please… just fuck me… don’t… worry…” Harm’s breath hitched again and he bit down on his bottom lip so hard that he tasted blood in his mouth when Gibbs jabbed three fingers inward, hitting his prostate with unerring accuracy.

 

Gibbs slowly withdrew his fingers from Harm’s body, smirking when Harm whimpered from the loss; he liberally coated his cock with the lubricant and then looked over at the nightstand where the roll of condoms was, the gold foil mockingly staring back at him.  Gibbs looked between the object of his desire and the bane of his existence for much longer than he intended because Harm had turned slightly and had a confused expression until he saw what Gibbs was looking at “We… we don’t need them.  I’m clean, I’m sure you’re clean… Just… please… I want to feel you, all of you…” Harm pleaded, his bottom lip trembling slightly.

 

Gibbs didn’t need any more prompting than that, he turned back to Harm, pushing the condom issue completely out of his mind as he lined up his cock to that beautiful heat and slowly, ever so slowly, pushed the head of his cock in past that tight ring of muscles.  Both men moaned as they connected, Harm bowed his head against the mattress and Gibbs tightened his grip on Harm’s hips, kicking his legs further apart so he had better access.  Gibbs continued pushing himself in, inch by agonizingly slow inch, grunting when Harm purposefully would clench down on him.

 

Gibbs finally bottomed out and let out a gratified moan and let his head fall back against his shoulder blades as he rolled his hips in slow movements.  Harm gasped and arched back slightly, “Fuck… god… that’s… yeah… so good…” Harm panted, his eyes closed tight and sweat starting to form on the nape of his neck as he rolled his own hips in counterpoint to Gibbs’ movements.

 

Gibbs moved his arms from Harm’s hips, up to his chest, wrapping his arms around the younger man’s torso and pulling him up and back until Harm was flush against Gibbs’ chest “So tight… love it… love the way you squeeze around me…” Gibbs murmured as he kissed, licked and bit across Harm’s shoulder, leaving small bites and hickeys along the way.  It was difficult to thrust upward, given that Harm had several inches on him, but he managed, and when he did, both men moaned out and held onto each other just that much tighter.

 

Gibbs knew he wouldn’t be able to hold this position much longer, so with a few more slow and deep thrusts, he carefully moved Harm and himself closer to the bed, all without breaking that connection.  Harm climbed up onto the mattress slowly and Gibbs followed, because really, he had no choice, his cock was buried balls deep in Harm’s ass and he _wasn’t_ about to pull out for something as mundane as switching positions.  Harm got onto his hands and knees, spreading himself out as wide as he could and laid his forehead on the mattress; Gibbs grasped onto Harm’s hips once again and pulled his hips back, the tip of his cock the only thing remaining inside of Harm’s tight heat now.

 

With a snap of his hips and a small roll in the end, Gibbs pushed back in roughly, groaning when he felt Harm instinctively clench around him when Harm’s prostate was nailed properly.  Harm nearly screamed out, his head jerking upright and his hips jerking backward against Gibbs’ body “Fuck… fuck… fuck…” he panted, reaching one hand down to clench around the base of his cock “Harder, please… please Jethro just… fuck me… take me…” Harm pleaded, hating how desperate he sounded, but it _really_ didn’t matter; he needed this… needed this man to fuck him into oblivion.

 

Gibbs growled as he pulled back once again, and this time when he slammed forward, he kept going, pulling out and pushing in with a near brutal force that had the mattress, box spring and wrought iron headboard all moving forward with his movements.  The headboard slapped and clanged loudly against the drywall, but neither man cared.   The only sounds they cared about were the moans, the screams, the cries of pleasure, the sound of Gibbs’ balls slapping against Harm’s thigh as he thrust inward, and the sloppy-wet sound of Harm’s cock as he stroked himself vigorously to keep up with Gibbs’ thrusts.

 

Harm screamed Gibbs’ name loudly when his orgasm hit, tearing through him like a freight train and splattering all over the mattress beneath him.  If it weren’t for the arms around his waist, he knew he would have collapsed into his own mess.  Gibbs growled loudly and laid his chest against Harm’s back, his hips stuttering before he roared out his own orgasm, Harm’s names leaving his lips in a breathless sigh as he rolled over, pulling Harm with him so that they both wouldn’t end up in the sticky come on the mattress.

 

Gibbs slowly pulled out of Harm and collapsed onto the mattress, breathing heavily and covered in sweat.  Harm whimpered slightly from the loss, although he would _never_ admit that he really just wanted Gibbs’ cock to stay buried deep in his ass for the rest of his life, and instead curled up against Gibbs as their bodies relaxed and the sweat cooled on their overly heated skins “Now I really am exhausted.” Harm whispered, closing his eyes and settling his hand over Gibbs’ heart, feeling the fast and erratic heartbeat beneath his fingertips.

 

Gibbs nodded and brought one hand up to tangle in Harm’s hair, the other wrapping around Harm’s body “Yeah… me too…” Gibbs agreed as he closed his own eyes, hoping he could block out the glaring sunlight and go back to sleep.  If he were conscious, he would have probably been shocked _again_ , that his body actually relaxed and he had fallen asleep; maybe it was the weight of another body against him, or the sex, or the longest conversation he’d ever had in his entire life, but he was well and truly exhausted and he didn’t care that it was only ten in the morning, he could probably end up sleeping until tomorrow morning, but he knew, at least on a subconscious level, that that would be a waste of a day, especially when he could be spending that day with Harm, learning about the younger man, his habits, what he liked and disliked, what made the younger man tick, or tock… Gibbs just let out a contented little sigh and let whatever happen, happen. He didn’t care about anything else at that moment except for the man in his arms and the sleep that had a strong hold on him, not even the distant ringing of a phone he heard coming from downstairs somewhere.


	3. Door Wide Open

The front door shut loudly, jolting Gibbs and Harm from their sleep, both men stayed silent as they listened to the heavy footfalls of whoever was downstairs “Gibbs!  I know you’re home!” a familiar voice rang out through the lower levels of the home and Gibbs sighed loudly.

 

“It’s Tony…” Gibbs said uselessly because Harm immediately recognized the voice as well and was already working on untangling himself from Gibbs’ warm embrace.  Gibbs swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up completely, rubbing a tired hand over his face and grabbed his discarded sweatpants “I’ll be back in a few minutes, hopefully, I can get rid of him.” Gibbs said as he stood up, slid his sweats on and headed downstairs toward the basement where he knew he would find his senior field agent.

 

Tony was standing in the basement when Gibbs came down the stairs “There you-… Oh… Did… Did I interrupt something?” Tony asked, his eyes grazing over Gibbs’ bare torso for a brief moment before latching back onto the older man’s blue eyes; Tony licked his lips nervously and turned on his heel to fully face his boss.

 

Gibbs nodded slowly, feeling slightly self-conscious of his half-naked state and standing in front of his senior field agent “Yeah, actually… Did we catch a case?” Gibbs asked, and he was staring past Tony’s shoulder at his woefully neglected boat, his fingers starting to itch the way they always did when he just wanted to lose himself in sanding for hours on end.

 

Tony shook his head slowly, looking down at his feet “No… Ah, no, no case boss.  I-…I just… I came to check on ya… Abby said she had called, but that you didn’t answer… either time… and she was worried… so I told her I would come to check if you were indeed okay…” Tony stammered through his explanation, a sweat breaking out on his forehead at the uncomfortable situation that seemed to settle on his shoulders.

 

Gibbs smirked inwardly as he shifted on his bare feet “Well, you can tell Abby that I’m perfectly fine…” he said as he headed toward the stairs, only to pause when he saw Harm standing at the top of the steps, staring down into the semi-dark basement; Gibbs shook his head and smiled despite himself, “Come on Tony, time for you to go.” Gibbs said as he headed up the steps and right up to the younger man that was waiting for him.

 

Tony stared in disbelief at the man who was standing in Gibbs’ kitchen – he had expected a short red-headed woman, or, hell he could have even half-expected a hooker but to have their latest suspect of a murder case, standing in the kitchen and only wearing a pair of boxers?  Yeah, Tony’s mind was being thrown through so many loops it was amazing he didn’t pass out from the head rush “Uh… Huh.” Tony said intelligently, as he scuffed one of his sneakers against the tile floors.

 

Harm chuckled as he propped himself up on the counter “He always this talkative when he comes face-to-face with people he’s arrested in the past?” Harm asked teasingly, cutting a glance in Gibbs’ direction – he had felt slightly uncomfortable at first, not wanting to confront Tony, but if he and Gibbs were going to be in a relationship, there had to be at least one person that they trusted mutually about their relationship and Tony seemed like a safe bet; while he didn’t know the agent well, he knew that Gibbs trusted Tony with his life and that went a long way for Harm’s resolve to at least have one person on their side if things ever went bad.

 

Gibbs shrugged as he turned to the coffee pot and started setting it up again “Don’t know… Don’t think we’ve ever come across people we’ve arrested like this…” Gibbs said as he looked Harm’s body up and down with an appreciative smile on his face “Now get your ass off my counter.” Gibbs snapped, but his tone was still teasing.

 

Tony shook his head and sighed loudly “I just need to know _one_ thing – Did this happen _before_ or _after_ the case?” Tony asked, looking between the half-dressed duo that was standing in his bosses kitchen, smiling at each other as if they had been in love for years – which was crazy because they had only met Harmon Rabb Junior a few years ago, when he was assigned to prosecute one of their more high-profile cases and Gibbs had always _hated_ the egotistical, self-serving asshole that made up the boxer-clad man.

 

Gibbs sighed, bracing his hands on the counter top “It happened after the case, Tony… Is this going to be a problem?” Gibbs asked, a bit of a bite to his tone as he stood up straight again and stared at his senior field agent with that normally harsh glare that could melt just about anything.

 

Tony bit his lip as he thought about it; would it be a problem?  Harm was proven innocent, and while he had always thought his boss was as straight as they come… He never held anything against people who were into the same sex.  Tony shook his head and shrugged his shoulders “I don’t have a problem with it – I’ll just tell Abby you were down in the basement with your boat…” Tony said, then glanced over at his bosses cell phone that was lying on the living room floor “And that your phone was not near you…” he added before walking over to the device in question and picking it up “See you later, boss… Harm.” Tony said with a brief nod as he sat the phone down on the coffee table before heading out of the house.

 

* * *

 

 

After Tony had left, Gibbs sighed and turned to face Harm, who actually was smiling and looking a bit pleased “What’s with that smile?” Gibbs asked as he grabbed two mugs and filled them with the freshly brewed coffee and took a sip from one mug while handing over the other to his partner.

 

Harm shrugged as he took the cup of coffee from Gibbs and then headed toward the basement “Glad that the secret doesn’t have to be between just the two of us… I don’t like keeping secrets as much as one would think.” Harm said with a smile as he slipped through the basement door and down the stairs.

 

Gibbs shook his head; Harm reminded him of a sleek black panther, moving gracefully and quiet amongst the shadows of a jungle.  Grabbing his coffee mug, he headed down the stairs and smiled when he saw Harm standing near his boat “You know, Abby and Ducky would be okay with our secret as well…” Gibbs threw out there as he grabbed two sanding blocks and handed one to Harm before taking his own and returning to the place where he was working last.

 

Harm nodded absently as he walked around the boat, brushing his knuckles over the smooth wood until he found an uneven patch and began working on smoothing it out “I’d have to really think about that… I might be able to trust Bud and Harriet, but I don’t know anyone else who I could possibly trust with this type of secret.” Harm said with a bit of a regretful sigh leaving his lips “Before my arrest, I thought I could have trusted Mac… but now I’m not so sure about that.” He added with a shrug to his shoulders, as if he didn’t care about that, how his friendship with his best friend seemed so tenuous and could possibly be the end.

 

Gibbs shrugged as he slowly pushed his sanding block up and down the rib of the boat “There’s only one way to know if you can trust her… Even being friends with her again…” Gibbs said as he looked over the top of the boat at his partner.

 

Harm sighed, nodding his head as he dropped his arms to his side, resting his forehead against the smooth surface of Gibbs’ boat “I know… one day, but not today.” Harm said as he looked up at Gibbs “So, you have a boat here… But do you actually sail?” Harm asked, wanting desperately to change the conversation away from his work partner.

 

Gibbs smiled and nodded as he smoothed his hand over the boat slowly “Yep.  I have a boat slip in the Potomac River, can actually see my slip from the NCIS windows…” Gibbs said with a smirk because aside from Ducky, no one else knew about that small fact; and now he had told someone new and that actually made him a little giddy.

 

Harm smiled as he rested his arms over the top of the boat and stared at his partner “I used to sail… when I was going through the Academy… Was on the sailing team.” Harm said with a slight lift of his shoulders “Maybe we could go out sailing tomorrow?” he suggested, raising an eyebrow upward as he smiled in Gibbs’ direction.

 

Gibbs shook his head as he stood back from the boat “Why wait until tomorrow?  We could go right now – We’ll drop by the bar, pick up your car and bring it back here so you can lock it up in my garage…” Gibbs said as he straightened himself up, brushing the sawdust out of the hair on his chest and stomach “I haven’t done a weekend sail in a while…” Gibbs mused out loud as he turned on his heel and started for the stairs.

 

Harm laughed as he dropped his sander and followed his partner up the stairs; because he was taller and stronger, Harm was able to wrap his arms around Gibbs’ waist, halting the older man and turning their bodies with the momentum until Gibbs’ back connected with the bookshelf that was in the kitchen.  Harm dipped his head and kissed Gibbs deeply and smiled “A weekend alone?  No interruptions?  Sounds heavenly.” Harm murmured when he finally allowed himself to pull away – he may have been the bottom of this relationship, but his own dominating personality was peaking out to let itself be known.

 

Gibbs was a little shocked by the fact that he was so easily pinned but he was also a bit breathless and wanted to know what else the younger man possessed, power-wise, and he knew that Harm would be shocked by his next admission “And maybe if you’re good… I’ll even let you play with me for a little while.” He didn’t directly state his intention of want and need, but he did see that shocked expression he was hoping for on his partner’s face before he pulled away and started toward the second story of his home again.

 

* * *

 

 

Harm sighed happily as he stretched his arms high above his head; after going to retrieve his Corvette from the bar, they had packed up Gibbs’ truck with a few essentials and then drove over to Harm’s apartment loft so that he could get a few things; the weather was just starting to warm up and it felt incredible to be out on the open water, even though they weren’t able to get out to the ocean just yet, he had a feeling that soon enough they would be sailing again when summer weather hit full-force and they would be able to hit the ocean.

 

Gibbs anchored the boat in a deeper out-of-the-way portion of the Potomac and then moved to stand behind Harm, rubbing the younger man’s lean hips and sides as he stretched his arms up; smiling at the heat that radiated off Harm’s bare torso “So… about my earlier suggestion.” Gibbs whispered as he pressed feather-light kisses across Harm’s shoulder and down the center of his back, where he could reach at least.

 

Harm turned around slowly, sliding his hands over Gibbs’ shoulders and then down his back slowly “Are you sure?  Have you ever…?” Harm trailed off, not quite sure he was comfortable with the idea of taking a virgin, even if he had thought about it earlier in the day.

 

Gibbs sighed and shook his head as he sat down on the large white bench seat “I’m not sure, no… and I’ve never done it before… Not _that_ way… I wouldn’t mind… with you though.” Gibbs said hesitantly, feeling every nerve in his body start shooting off every ounce of nervousness he felt as he stared up at Harm, squinting as the sunlight beamed into his eyes as it began setting on the horizon.

 

Harm shook his head as he crouched down and ran his fingers nimbly up Gibbs’ thighs “I’m not going to do that to you… Not until you are absolutely certain that it is something you want.  I’m perfectly satisfied riding you, being under you…” Harm’s voice was dipped with an undercurrent of lust, his fingers subtly working open the button of Gibbs’ khaki shorts and working the zipper down.

 

Gibbs groaned when a strong, yet surprisingly gentle, hand wrapped around his cock and started pumping him to complete hardness “I may… never be ready for that…” Gibbs admitted, panting heavily as Harm started jacking him with just the right amount of pressure and grip on his hard cock.

 

Harm shrugged as he bent his head forward and licked a wide stripe up the underside of Gibbs’ cock, swirling his tongue around the leaking head for a few swipes before pulling away and resuming his heavy stroking pressure “And I’m okay with that.  I actually _like_ bottoming for you, and only you, Jethro.” Harm said thickly but sincerely as he pushed up on his knees and captured Gibbs’ mouth in a searing kiss before pulling away and lowering his head down to Gibbs’ cock, taking him in all the way to the back of his throat.

 

Gibbs moaned loudly, one hand settling on the back of Harm’s head, the other curling around the edge of the bench seat as his hips slanted upwards; “Christ…” Gibbs breathed out as Harm started sucking relentlessly at his cock, taking him all the way to the hilt several times “Don’t you have a damn gag reflex?!” Gibbs snapped out through clenched teeth as Harm bobbed down on his cock again, holding him there for several minutes.

 

Harm pulled off of Gibbs’ cock, keeping a steady stroking rhythm with his hand “No… Not really.” Harm admitted softly as he stood up and slid down his cotton gym shorts before straddling Gibb’s lap and slipped his partner’s hard cock into his still slightly loose opening; Harm groaned and rested his forehead against Gibbs’ shoulder as he carefully took the strong cock further into his body.

 

Gibbs moaned softly as he set his hands on Harm’s hips and thrust his own hips upward, burying himself in to the hilt inside of Harm’s tight channel; neither of them moving after that, for one: Gibbs was already so close to the edge of orgasm, and two: so Harm had a chance to adjust to the large cock now hiding inside of his body.   Gibbs sighed once he felt Harms’ body accepting his cock completely, the muscles relaxing and pulling him deeper “Move.” Gibbs ordered tenderly as he leaned his head up and began sucking on the strong tendon of muscle on Harm’s throat.

 

Harm set his hands on Gibbs’ shoulders and began moving up and down the thick shaft inside of his body, moaning out into the open air as he positioned himself just right, letting the older man’s cock push against his prostate each time he went back down.  Gibbs had one arm wrapped around Harm’s waist, and the other tenderly rubbing up and down Harm’s stomach and chest “Fuck.” Harm gasped loudly when he impaled himself and rotated his hips, Gibbs’ cock a constant pressure on his prostate as he shuddered violently, so close to his own orgasm without even a touch to his own straining erection.

 

Gibbs leaned back and teasingly ran his index finger up the underside of Harms’ cock, watching as a copious amount of precum dribbled down the length of his partner’s reddish-purple cock “So beautiful.” Gibbs murmured, swiping his thumb through the pearly liquid and then sucking in it.

 

Harm gasped and moaned, his entire body quivering as he gripped Gibbs’ shoulders, rocking faster and harder on the cock inside of him “So close… jesus…” Harm cried out as he dropped down on Gibbs’ cock one last time before he started spurting an obscene amount of seminal fluids on Gibbs’ chest and stomach, one hand shooting down to quickly grab hold of his cock as it twitched relentlessly with its release.

 

Gibbs’ release was only seconds after that, he moaned as he grabbed onto both of Harm’s hips, slamming himself upward as his orgasm tore through him like a freight train, his toes curling inward and his back arching as he emptied himself into the tight heat of his lover’s body.  It took several long minutes to recover, Gibbs’ deflating cock still buried inside of Harm’s body, seminal fluids leaking across their bodies “Last one in the water has KP tonight!” Harm sang merrily as he gracefully slipped off Gibbs’ body and headed toward the open back of the Catamaran sailboat, diving languidly into the semi-cold river water.

 

Harm re-emerged seconds later and Gibbs stood at the back of the boat, his shorts now put back to rights, he could see that his partner's lips were already tinging blue with the cold shock of the water “You’re absolutely crazy if you think I’m getting in _that_ water!” Gibbs barked as he grabbed a towel and beckoned Harm closer “Get your ass out of there before you develop hypothermia or something.” Gibbs snapped and helped pull Harm up out of the water – thankful that the bonehead didn’t actually pull him in like he had actually thought Harm would do.

 

* * *

 

 

The sun had finally set, both men were full from dinner and wearing warm clothes as they laid down on the back of the catamaran, staring up at the star-studded sky “So… Tell me why you decided to join the NAVY?” Gibbs asked curiously, twisting strands of Harm’s long black hair around in his fingertips.

 

Harm sighed as he turned his head slightly, burying his face against Gibbs’ USMC hoodie and inhaling the scent of sawdust and Old Spice “My dad and grandfather were both in the NAVY… Both naval aviators and both subsequently shot down – My dad in Vietnam, grandfather in World War Two…” Harm said with a shrug “It’s always been in me, always been a part of who I was and… I just wanted to continue the legacy… even if it meant getting killed while in a plane.” Harm said quietly, sitting up now and wrapping his arms around his legs as he stared out at the wavy water, the moon and stars glittering across the black surface.

 

Gibbs frowned as he sat up and sat behind Harm, wrapping his arms around the younger man’s waist and resting his head on Harm’s broad back “I never did die though… But I’m sure you read my service record, so you know _why_ I don’t fly anymore – either time I tried doing it again.” Harm said quietly, sliding his hands over Gibbs’ hands and interlacing their fingers, squeezing lightly.

 

Gibbs nodded slowly, he had, in fact, read over Harm’s service record, a lot through the case, and then once more when the case was finally laid to rest and the real murderer had been arrested – he had read it, hoping he could get the commander out of his head; that, however, clearly did not work out so well. “So, what about you?  How did you end up joining the Marine Corps, and then subsequently NCIS?” Harm asked quietly, already having a deep gut-feel that this was a touchy subject for his lover; he squeezed Gibbs’ hands lightly and comfortingly.

 

Gibbs sighed and turned his head so his forehead was pressing lightly against Harm’s spine, wanting to hide as much as he possibly could “I joined the Marines because I was trying to get away from my father and life in a small town… My mom killed herself when I was pretty young, she had… cancer and didn’t want my dad and me to see her suffer, so she took her life into her own hands… I was pretty angry, at her, at him, at the world really…” Gibbs said quietly, lifting his head up and resting his chin against Harm’s back, finding more confidence in himself as he held Harm, and the younger man held him in return.

 

“I worked through the remainder of my school years, got into a lot of fights and created a lot of trouble… Could have gone either way for me there, really… A life of crime or not.” Gibbs said with a small shrug “But then we kind of had a Career day at the high school, and there was a Marine Recruiter there… He saw the pain and anger, and we connected on a deeper level than I even knew I could connect with someone…” Gibbs said quietly, his fingers absently moving and tracing Harm’s abdominal muscles “After I graduated High School, I was right there in the local recruitment office… And I was officially doing something with my life, I was heading off to boot camp.” Gibbs said quietly, rubbing his slightly stubbled chin against Harm’s back.

 

“I met my… my first wife… at the train station, the day I was leaving for basic.  We talked the entire trip that we were taking – Me to Parris Island and…” Gibbs stopped and squinted slightly “You know, I don’t think I actually ever asked _where_ she was going, I just knew we were headed in the same direction for at least part of our trip.” Gibbs said with a pained laugh and shrugged his shoulders “We exchanged addresses while we were on that train and everything grew from there – We fell in love and when I returned to Stillwater, we got married…” Gibbs whispered, closing his eyes against the tears that had started building up “A year later we had our daughter, Kelly…” Gibbs choked on his daughter's name, closing his eyes even tighter as the tears continued threatening to fall.

 

Harm squeezed both of Gibbs’ hands and kissed the older man’s bicep “Hey… If you can’t talk about it… Don’t force yourself… You aren’t on trial here, Jethro.” Harm whispered soothingly before he turned around in Gibbs’ arms and sat crossed-legged in front of the older man, rubbing his arms and shoulders comfortingly.

 

Gibbs breathed out shakily and shook his head slowly “I… I do want to… talk about it but… I don’t think I can right now…” Gibbs admitted quietly, rubbing the sleeve of his hoodie across his face and wiping away the tears “I just want to lay down now… How about we go to bed?” Gibbs asked as he stood up and then pulled Harm up to his feet, which was easier than actually anticipated; the younger man was taller, definitely, but he was also quite lean given his healthy lifestyle.

 

Harm nodded wordlessly as he wrapped his arms around Gibbs’ waist and kissed him softly, they then retreated down to the small cabin of the boat.  Harm and Gibbs both stripped down and got comfortable on the round bed; Gibbs was feeling incredibly vulnerable and took up the position of wrapping himself around Harm’s larger body, instead of Harm being wrapped around him.  Harm sighed as he wrapped his arms around Gibbs’ back, rubbing soothingly up and down the older man’s smooth back, listening and waiting as Gibbs’ breathing slowly evened out and then his body grew heavier, indicating that he had finally fallen asleep – it seemed to have taken hours, but none of that mattered to Harm as he held the older man and comforted him through what had to be a hard time reliving memories that were so very clearly buried deep within his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!! :) and looking for any ideas about this one and where it could go for the next chapter, so if you got an idea, let me know!!!


	4. Out Of The Navy

Following his arrest, and subsequent release; Harm had a week off from JAG and had gladly accepted the break from the office.  Not only was he able to hang out with Gibbs more during that week, but he was able to just relax and think about what he wanted to do with his life, his future because everything was on uncertain grounds right now; his best friend had been distant when he was arrested and he still didn’t understand it – that was something he _needed_ to understand before he went back to JAG full-time.

 

But, he couldn’t just confront Mac, as much as he wanted too, he knew that in some way it wouldn’t go as well as he would have hoped, so now here he was, standing on Admiral AJ Chegwidden’s doorstep and knocking on the door.  AJ opened the door and looked at Harm curiously “Commander Rabb, what can I do for you?” AJ asked, leaning on the doorjamb, arms crossed over his chest.

 

Harm took a deep breath and looked down at his commanding officer “Why didn’t anyone visit me while I was under investigation? When I was sitting in that cell by myself?” Harm asked quietly, needing answers more than he needed anything else at that moment – he stared at AJ, his blue eyes boring into the older man’s brown eyes.

 

AJ sighed and stepped out of the doorway, inviting Harm into his home “May as well sit down…” AJ said as he walked over to his living room furniture, sitting down in his armchair, crossing one leg over the other; he waited for Harm to get comfortable on the couch and then looked at the younger man “It was my call, ordering everyone to stay away from you while you were being investigated, because I knew they would try and protect you, alibi you…” AJ said with a shrug of his shoulders “I couldn’t be certain if you were innocent or guilty, and I didn’t want to lose my entire staff in one fell swoop if they had done anything…” AJ added as he looked at Harm.

 

Harm shook his head and stood up, starting to pace the length of the small couch “I sat in a cell, for _two days_ , and I had NO visitors!  Not even someone to tell me that they supported me – What would have happened, AJ, had I been found guilty?!  Would you have continued telling everyone to avoid me like I was… I…” Harm stopped and collapsed on the couch again, cradling his head in his hands “I just wanted my friends… to talk to me… to tell me that they knew I didn’t do it… that they supported me no matter the outcome… I didn’t have that!” Harm whispered, his voice strained and filled with the hurt and pain he had felt over those two days where he was completely isolated from any friendly faces.

 

AJ had no clue what to say about that, he knew he was guilty of forcing his staff into avoiding Harm at all costs, not wanting to lose everyone if Harm had actually gone down for the murder of Lieutenant Singer; deep down he knew that Harm would be proven innocent, there was not a murdering bone in Harm’s body, but the younger man was always prone to getting himself into further trouble – like the first time he had been arrested and escaped, he did not want a recurring event as such “Harm…” but Harm shook his head when AJ began speaking “No, Admiral, I get it – I’m just… I’m done for now – I’ll see you at work.” Harm said as he stood up and walked out of the house, not giving his commanding officer another chance to speak and hurt him even further; he had heard enough, even if he hadn’t heard a real explanation at all.

 

* * *

 

 

Harm sighed sadly as he sat down on the bottom step of Gibbs’ basement, twisting around a tumbler of bourbon and watching the older man as he worked on sanding the boat – he understood that this boat was for therapeutic reasons more than sailing, since Gibbs already had a boat built, completed, and already settled in the water; he had his own therapeutic release in flying, but given that it was close to midnight, he couldn’t head to Blacksburg and just hop in _Sarah_.  Harm sighed again, rubbing a hand down his face “I think it would be best if I just retired from the Navy…” Harm blurted out randomly, glancing up at his partner.

 

Gibbs paused in his sanding, looking over at Harm and assessing how serious the younger man was about actually leaving something that was just as much of his life as the Corps and NCIS was to Gibbs “Maybe… but, don’t jump the gun just yet… You haven’t even spoken with Mac yet, or have you?” Gibbs asked as he returned to sanding, but he did keep most of his attention on the conversation he was having with Harm.

 

Harm shook his head, combing his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily “Not yet, no.” Harm said with a frown on his face “She’s been trying to call me, but I’ve been kind of ignoring her messages… Told her I would see her at work in a text and left it at that.” Harm added, shrugging his shoulders and turning on the step to lean his back against the wall.

 

Gibbs nodded and set his sander down, he moved over to the stairs and sat down, pulling Harm’s legs into his lap and then pulling the younger man closer, kissing his forehead gently “It’s going to be alright, Harm… You’ll figure everything out and I’ll be there to support whatever decisions you think are necessary for you.” Gibbs said sincerely, wrapping one arm around Harm and rubbing his back lightly.

 

Harm nodded and sighed “How about we head upstairs?  I’m ready to just lay down and relax…” Harm suggested as he slid out of Gibbs’ lap and stood up, wrapping his arms around his torso and looking down at the older man who was still seated on the stairs.

 

Gibbs nodded as he stood up and started up the stairs; he waited for Harm to pass him and then shut the lights off in the basement and then the rest of the house as they headed up to the master bedroom.  Gibbs watched as Harm stripped down to his boxers and then slid in between the sheets, curling up into what had to be the smallest ball that his large frame could manage; Gibbs sighed and stripped down to his own boxers before sliding in with Harm on the mattress, pulling the younger man to his own body and rubbing up and down his back – there were no words for this moment, Gibbs knew that Harm would need a little bit of mental space to think about what he wanted to do with his life.

 

* * *

 

 

So, on Monday, Harm went back to the JAG office and tried to catch up on things he had missed regarding cases; but because he had been officially ‘off the roster’ he really did not have much work to cover except writing the final conclusions on cases he worked before his arrest.  Harm had even gotten there early, earlier than anyone – even AJ wasn’t in the office quite yet, the only people there was the skeleton crew that kept the offices running after hours.

 

Two hours into paperwork and finally everyone was starting to filter in, AJ had been first to come in but Harm hardly paid his commanding officer any attention except for exchanging pleasantries; Bud and Harriet were the next to show up and Harm smiled at them but he was still upset with the married couple as well, and asked if they could possibly meet for dinner later – they had agreed to the invitation immediately.

 

When Mac had arrived though, Harm was starting to feel nervous and overwhelmed, he had once thought they were in love – could have been more than just work partners, but several times over the past seven years, they had hurt each other so much that their friendship was hardly what it had been when they first really connected and now they could hardly stop each other from hurting one another in the process of working for each other; biting remarks were harsher, but Mac came in to Harm’s office anyway and the duo stared at each other, both seemingly at a loss for words.

 

Mac rubbed her forehead, stress-induced wrinkles marring her features for a few moments “I wanted to visit, you have to believe me when I say that…” Mac said quietly, resting her elbow on the arm of the chair and her head on her closed fist as she stared into Harms’ baby blue eyes.

 

Harm shrugged noncommittally “I’m sure you did.  But you had orders from Chegwidden because _god knows_ how often you or anyone in this office _actually_ follows his orders.” Harm snarked, pushing himself away from his desk and standing up “You and I – We aren’t where we were a few years ago, anymore.  And I don’t think we’ll ever get that friendship back again…” Harm admitted, resting his hands on the edge of his desk and staring down at the calendar blotter.

 

Mac looked heartbroken, but she nodded her head regardless “Too much has happened over the years, especially after the whole Mic fiasco – That was the turning point for us, I think… We were really screwed up after Mic and I called off the wedding.” Mac confessed, she stood up as well and paced behind the two visitor chairs in Harm’s office; before either of them could continue talking though, Jennifer Coates was walking into Harm’s office and was requesting Mac’s presence in Chegwidden’s office.

 

Harm sat down, or, really he slumped down in his office chair and watched as Mac left his office – he felt physically and emotionally drained already and they had hardly even begun to talk, or, as recent months would have suggested, fought over what was going on in their personal lives.  Harm didn’t like that he wasn’t being called into Chegwidden’s office, it was normal for them to both be present for a debriefing on a new case, and this was anything but normal – he couldn’t be getting punished for what happened over the Singer case; he had literally no involvement except for trying to figure out who the father of Loren’s child was, if it were his brother or not, and that had transpired well before she was murdered.

 

When Mac did finally emerge from Chegwidden’s office, she looked pissed off but also had a determined ‘I’m on a mission’ expression on her face; Harm was quick to stand up, although their friendship was hanging by bare threads, he still cared for Mac and couldn’t stand to see her upset.  Harm went to her office and smiled tentatively “What’s going on?  You were in Chegwidden’s office for quite some time…” Harm questioned, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the bane of the entire JAG office’s bane of existence – Clayton Webb – leaving through the back entrance, like he didn’t want to be spotted, but it was a moot point, everyone had seen him after Mac stormed through the office.

 

Mac nodded as she started shoving her belongings into her briefcase “We can’t talk about it here… I’ll meet you at your loft tonight – That is, if you’ll _actually_ be there?” Mac asked, leveling Harm with one of her interrogative glares as she stared directly into his blue eyes.

 

Harm nodded his agreement, but frowned as Mac threw her coat over her arm and walked out of her office before he had a chance to speak his agreement as well; he watched her completely disappear from the office and then retreated to his own little square of an office and sighed as he sat down again, cradling his head in his hands; he’d have to cancel his plans with Gibbs tonight, but that was alright because it was a Monday, and Monday’s were not a typical ‘date-night’ anyway and they didn’t have solid plans anyway.

 

* * *

 

 

Harm knew he was staring, and Mac wasn’t the least bit uncomfortable with that fact – she had gotten a lot of unwarranted stares after she had spent the day with Clayton Webb at Langley “I still don’t understand why you have to go as a _pregnant woman_ – What’s wrong with just being… a regular woman?” Harm asked – it was kind of pigheaded of him, but it was no less a truer statement.

 

Mac shrugged, taking no offense to the way Harm worded his question “I don’t know, this is what Clay wanted though… A pregnant wife who had knowledge in gemology – Why I fit that bill?  I will never know, but this is where we are… I can’t tell you much other than that though.” Mac said quietly, rubbing one arm with her hand, a sad smile crossing her features.

 

Harm nodded and sighed tiredly “I get it, Mac… It’s need to know, and I don’t need to know.” Harm said quietly, turning and bracing his elbows on his kitchen island “You should probably head out… Long day tomorrow and all, I would guess.” Harm said, not wanting to turn around and face Mac – because he knew if he did, he’d make the mistake of asking her to stay, and he couldn’t risk it.

 

Harm lowered his head to the island counter when he heard the reinforced steel of his loft close, Mac would be gone for a while if Clayton Webb was involved with whatever scheme he had going on down in… wherever the heck Mac was going – he didn’t even have _that_ information, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to know where she and Clayton Webb were headed, it wasn’t in his purview as a JAG lawyer, and he wasn’t read into this “mission” even if it bothered the hell out of him – this was his best friend, or was supposed to be his best friend, and he hated not knowing where she was headed.

 

Harm’s head snapped up when he heard his loft door open and shut again, but he breathed out a sigh of relief when he realized it was not Mac who was returning, but instead, it was Gibbs.  “Figured you could use some company… I was sitting out front of your loft when Mac left… She seemed kind of upset?” Gibbs ventured as he went over to his partner and pressed a tender kiss to the back of Harm’s head.

 

Harm nodded, cradling his head in his hands and staring across his small kitchen blankly “She’s leaving for some undercover mission with Clayton Webb…” Harm said quietly as if just saying the words would bring the entirety of the CIA down upon his home.

 

Gibbs frowned – he seriously did not understand the dynamics of JAG; how they had lawyers who also went undercover with the CIA at times, but then again it really wasn’t his place to understand how they worked.  “Come on… Let’s go lay down.” Gibbs said quietly, maneuvering Harm off of the barstool and over to the lifted portion of the loft where the bed and bathroom were.

 

Harm collapsed almost as soon as he was stripped down, he curled up around his pillow and sighed miserably “I don’t know why _I’m_ so upset about this – I mean sure, we’re friends, but… we’ve worked with Webb before and sure, things don’t always turn out the best whenever he’s at the helm of a mission but… she can handle herself, she lives for dangerous things like this…” Harm tried reasoning out why he was so upset, but even his explanation sounded flat.

 

Gibbs sighed as he slid into the bed behind Harm, propping his head up on his fist and wrapping his free arm around Harm’s waist “Maybe you should go with her… Unofficially, of course.  I’m sure, with a little digging, you can figure out where she’s going and no doubt you can get there… Even if she doesn’t need the help, just being there would be a relief.” Gibbs suggested quietly, drawing his fingers across Harm’s stomach slowly.

 

Harm nodded as he turned over and faced Gibbs, he reached his hand up and traced the older man’s jawline as he brought all of his thoughts into some semblance of order “If I do this… It might be weeks or more before you see me again – You know that, right?” Harm asked softly, his blue eyes glistening in the moonlight streaming in through the bathroom window.

 

Gibbs nodded and smiled sadly “Yeah, I know… But I will be here whenever you get back.” Gibbs said sincerely, he leaned forward and kissed Harm softly on the lips, pulled the younger man into his arms and snuggled into the bed with him “Now, let's get some sleep – some people still have work in the morning.” Gibbs added with a smirk and a playful slap to Harm’s ass.

 

* * *

 

 

And so, for the first few days, Harm returned to the JAG office and was a constant pain in Admiral Chegwidden’s ass, trying to find out where Mac had went, when she was going to return, what her mission entailed; the older man had given the standard ‘need to know’ answers for everything Harm had asked and that had irritated him beyond belief.

 

That’s when Harm had the brilliant idea of meeting up with the CIA lawyer that they had worked with once before on a case, Catherine Gale.  Throughout the entire time that Harm was chasing down leads to Mac’s whereabouts, he kept Gibbs up-to-date on his progress and had even explained that he would have to do a little bit of flirting-and-charming to get the answers he needed; Gibbs understood the nature of getting information and gave Harm complete access to the younger man’s arsenal of interrogation techniques and Gibbs had even given him a few tips himself.

 

Harm had started spending more time with Catherine, especially after finding out that the young woman had a very sick mother in the hospital; learning that after their first lunch and he offered to drive her to the hospital.  The mother had immediately latched onto Harm and unfortunately, things progressed quickly from there and led to Harm and Catherine fabricating an in-hospital wedding for the younger woman’s mother so that – if she had died – at least she would have gone with a happy memory of her daughter marrying someone.

 

After that though, Harm had gotten the information he needed in regards to Mac’s whereabouts from CIA Director Harrison Kershaw.  Mac and Webb were in Paraguay and, Harm did not want to actually go there, but once he found out where Mac was, he started worrying and feeling a tendril of dread running through his veins; it felt like ice water had been poured into his body and wouldn’t let go of him – he knew then that he had to go and save his best friend and by extension, Clayton Webb as well since Kershaw had disclosed that they had not heard from either Webb or Mac in a week.

 

When Harm had told Chegwidden what he knew and requested time off to go after Mac, to bring her home, his request for leave was immediately denied.  Harm was pissed off, and in the heat of the moment, he told Chegwidden that he was resigning, slapped the papers of his resignation down and practically twisted the older man’s arm to sign the papers and then Harm left the office, angry and determined to bring Mac and Clayton Webb home from Paraguay – what he would do after returning?  He didn’t know, and he didn’t care; all he knew was that he needed to bring his friends home and return to Gibbs, preferably in the way he would leave – unharmed.

 

After telling all of these things to Gibbs, Harm felt a little better but was still uneasy about traveling to the South American country “Just think of it as a rescue mission – since that is, technically, what it is and I know you’ve done a few of them in your time… This is no different, except the stakes are higher; these are your friends and your judgment will be compromised.” Gibbs said wisely as they laid in bed, their arms and legs tangled together in an unintelligible jumble of long limbs.

 

Harm nodded against Gibbs’ shoulder and sighed heavily as he began kissing the older man’s warm skin with soft kisses “I just don’t want to leave without you… I’m being too much of a sap though, aren’t I?” Harm asked quietly, blinking his eyes and tilting his head back just enough to see his lover.

 

Gibbs sighed and kissed Harm softly on his lips “I already told you, I’ll be here when you get back – and if you need me while you’re down there?  I’m only a call away… As for you being a sap?  Yeah, ya kinda are.” Gibbs said with a wide grin as he turned his body, plastering himself on top of Harm’s body and kissing him deeply.

 

Harm moaned and set his feet against Gibbs’ ass so that their cocks would align perfectly; they were moving against each other in a perfect rhythm and Harm knew he wouldn’t last long.  Nothing mattered right now except for their own mutual love for one another and Harm was smiling as he stared up into the pair of blue eyes above him, his fingers gently digging into Gibbs’ shoulders.

 

Gibbs moved faster and felt Harm shuddering underneath him; the younger man had his head tilted back, his eyes were now shut and his mouth was slightly parted as he panted and moaned into the night air “so close…” Gibbs muttered as he bent his head and sucked at Harm’s neck lightly, not wanting to leave a mark bold enough to be noticed, but enough to remind his lover of who he belonged too.

 

Their release was coming fast and Harm moaned loudly when his practically snuck up on him, his entire body shuddering as he exploded between their bodies.  Gibbs wasn’t too far behind, adding to the sticky mixture on their stomachs, they both moaned loudly and clung to each other as they rode out their orgasms.  After getting cleaned up and settling back down in bed though, Gibbs kissed Harm softly on the side of his head “Everything will work out, I promise.” Gibbs whispered and pulled Harm closer to his body, rubbing his back and shoulders until he felt the younger man relax and fall asleep against his body; Gibbs fell asleep a few minutes later, knowing that in the morning he would have to let the younger man go off to save the duo that were lost in Paraguay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still looking for suggestions regarding this one - As you can see, they are all titled with things that happen through out the chapter, therefore anything is possible!!! If you have ideas, let me know and I'll try my hardest to incorporate them! ;)
> 
> Also, I'm sort of following the time-line of JAG if you couldn't tell by this one, lol, haven't really watched the series in a few months but hopefully my knowledge is still fresh and I'm able to keep the momentum going, it would definitely help though if I had more ideas flowing in my direction, and of course a lot of "off-scene" things will happen since in the show, Gibbs & Harm didn't have a relationship but it's my spin on if they did, but they continued their lives as they were on-camera... sort of... if that makes sense.


End file.
